This category contains the intention-setting ideas from the monthly newsletter.

5 Intention-setting Ideas for Honoring The Month of August

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August:  The Month of New Beginnings!

As the 8th month of the year, August carries the divine meaning of renewal, abundance, and fresh starts. Whether you’re picking up an old goal or starting a brand-new chapter, the energy of this month will support courage, heart, leadership and visibility as the Sun is positioned in the fire sign of Leo.

In addition, we have the Lion’s Gate Portal reaching its energetic peak of 8/8, symbolizing infinity, abundance, and the bridge between the physical and spiritual realms!  It centers on the cosmic alignment of Earth, the Sun in Leo, and the star Sirius, which is the brightest star in the sky.

Jupiter is moving through Leo as well this month, magnifying themes of personal growth and confidence.  This year’s portal peaks a few days before an August 12th solar eclipse, creating an intense buildup for individual and collective transformation.

Below are some intention-setting ideas to welcome the month of August:

  1. Choose a guiding word.   You may not be thinking about a specific transformation you are in, yet you may be sensing or feeling that something is about to emerge (like the caterpillar as it moves in the chrysalis).  Perhaps pick one word that captures how you want to move through the month to anchor you during this powerful time of transformation.  Maybe words such as renewal, courage, abundance, clarity, or joy resonate.  Then, when making decisions or facing challenges, return to this guiding word to support your transformation.
  2. Release before you receive.  In order to make space for something new, we often need to release something old.  Consider the process of cleaning out our closets.  This month perhaps write down one habit, belief, or fear you’re ready to leave behind, that’s been holding you back. Then write about what you’re making space for in its place.
  3. Plant three seeds.  Think of August as a season of planting. Consider setting one intention in each area: personal growth, relationships, and health or career.  Focus on small, consistent actions rather than perfect outcomes.
  4. Create a morning ritual.  Rituals act as “sacred thresholds” that help us navigate major life changes. They formally guide us out of one identity and anchor us securely into the next, supporting our transformations.  Perhaps dedicate the first five minutes of each morning this month to setting your energy for the day through a new ritual, such as expressing gratitude for three things in your life currently that anchor you, visualizing your ideal day or taking three, more expansive mindful breaths.
  5. Write an August manifesto. Studies show you are significantly more likely to achieve goals simply by writing them down. This simple habit boosts focus, programs your subconscious to spot opportunities, and turns passing wishes into concrete commitments.  Consider taking a few minutes to imagine it’s the last day of the month and you have lived August exactly as you hoped.  Then write down who you became, how you felt, and what you experienced!

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Find Real Freedom

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America Turns 250!

As we all look for our own ways to celebrate this milestone, it got me thinking about what real freedom feels like.  I don’t think it is an external experience, I feel it is an internal job.

Real freedom is often blocked by psychological barriers, not physical ones.  We are living in uncertain and scary times that are activating our fear responses in our bodies, leaving us feeling helpless and maybe even hopeless.  I also suspect it is creating some level of block to speaking and acting in alignment with our authentic selves and living life to its fullest.

So I am reminded at this time of one of the seven Hermetic Principles that states “As within, so without, as above, so below, as the universe, so the soul.”  This principle suggests that inner balance creates outer harmony, where our emotions, thoughts and beliefs shape our external actions.  The suggestion is that the more inner peace we can cultivate, it will be reflected out into the world through our actions.  A powerful, universal mantra and movement is “Peace starts with me” and it emphasizes that creating a more harmonious world begins with individual self-reflection and inner healing rather than waiting for external circumstances to change.

So if it is fear that is holding us back from being truly free by keeping us trapped in familiar routines and preventing us from taking risks, how might we work with fear?  Fear tries to convince us that staying safe is smarter than being authentic, ultimately restricting our potential and agency.  Yes, safety – and survival – are mission critical, as it is a basic human need to thrive, so it is a good place to start the journey of finding inner peace.

Below are some intention-setting ideas for working with fears that make us want to stay small so you can begin to create more psychological internal safety and sense of freedom:

  1. Fear of Judgment.   Rejection, especially when we are very young, activates our survival/fear strategies to adapt – or mask – to belong.  When we worry about other people’s opinions, it is a normal, natural adaptive response to conform and hide our true, authentic selves to avoid such rejection.  Rejection is painful!  Unfortunately, what we learn to do in this adaptive process is reject those authentic parts of ourselves, judging them as ‘bad’ and believing they jeopardize our survival.  If this fear resonates with you, consider sitting with your little one inside and have a conversation.  Let your little one know that you are grateful for what they did to survive.  Then ask them what it is they need to feel safe.  Give your little one voice to express their truth – their needs, passions, gifts – that someone informed them was not acceptable.  Then tell them you accept them!!
  2. Fear of Failure.  This fear feeds our perfectionist part that developed a belief that they needed to be perfect in order to be loved.  Unfortunately, the fear of losing the love of someone we love because we had an accident or made a mistake, paralyzes us and prevents us from trying new things or pursuing our goals in order to avoid the discomfort of embarrassment and disappointment others may feel.  If this fear resonates with you, perhaps challenge the narrative of your perfectionist by asking “What is the worst that could happen (in this specific situation)?”  Remind your perfectionist that failure is a necessary part of human development.  Let them know it physically rewires the brain through neuroplasticity to learn from mistakes.  Embracing setbacks as a natural stepping stone transforms how you navigate life with more peace.
  3. Fear of the Unknown.  Consistency and predictability is calming to the nervous system.  Unpredictability and inconsistency can be scary.  Staying in familiar routines, roles or relationships can feel safer than stepping into something new.  It is because it is what you know, you have learned to navigate it and are still here to prove it!  Fear of the unknown keeps you clinging to what’s familiar—even when it uncomfortable or painful.  The fear of starting over or facing uncertainty makes the known pain feel more tolerable than the unknown possibility.  If this fear resonates with you, consider creating a vision board to help you focus on what you want to create and where you want to go.  Change feels less scary when it’s tied to hope, not fear.  And remember, you don’t have to make any drastic changes to start.  Taking tiny, repeated actions builds confidence  Start with small, low-risk changes to build your confidence and prove to yourself that uncertainty doesn’t always mean danger.
  4. Fear of Vulnerability.  What if I told you that vulnerability – having the courage to be your authentic self – is a superpower.  The dread of emotional exposure or being hurt prevents us from forming deep connections and speaking our truth.  Fear of getting hurt can keep you emotionally guarded, even when you deeply crave connection.  If you have survived a painful experience—whether in love, friendship, or family—it is a normal, natural adaptive response to want to protect yourself.  However, staying guarded all the time can leave you feeling isolated.  You have learned to associate closeness with pain or instability.  Unfortunately, a real connection requires some level of vulnerability.   If this fear resonates with you, perhaps practicing being vulnerable by simply admitting when you are tired or may need support.  Learning to ask for help challenges the belief that it’s safer doing it all by yourself.  People often mask this fear with hyperindependence.  You might begin by sharing a minor disappointment with a close friend or vocalizing a small need rather than carrying everything yourself
  5. Fear of Being Too Much.  Fear of being too much can cause you to shrink yourself to avoid making others uncomfortable.  This fear often shows up in people who have been told they are “too emotional,” “too intense,” “too loud” or “too sensitive.”  It feeds the belief of ‘There must be something wrong with me.”  You start to believe that your personality needs to be toned down to be accepted.  So you learn to play it safe—dialing back your enthusiasm or opinions or stuffing down or ignoring your emotions just to avoid being seen as overwhelming.  This fear feeds the people pleasing part within us.  When you constantly filter yourself in order to make others feel comfortable, you disconnect from your most authentic self.  Since you learned to play it safe, know that you can unlearn these behaviors.  If this fear resonates with you, consider telling yourself (and then frequently reminding yourself) that being expressive, sensitive, or having big feelings is a natural style, not a character flaw.  You can learn to lean into spaces and surround yourself with people who welcome your unique energy.  You’re not too much—you just might not be for everyone. The right people will appreciate your authentic self, not just the version that plays small.  And the more you appreciate and express your authentic self, not only will you experience more inner peace and freedom, you will model it and empower others to do the same!

5 Intention-setting Ideas for Navigating This Turbulent Time

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Uranus Issues a Global Wake Up Call This Month!

I understand that many of us may not turn to the cosmos for everyday guidance, yet many of the planets in our universe are moving into critical alignments this month, some that have not occurred in about 500 years.  Astrologers, such as Pam Gregory, are describing this time as a global wake-up call or pivot point that is expected to trigger sudden awareness, evolutionary shifts, and events that change perspectives permanently.  I don’t know about you, this suggestion excites me a great deal right now!

With these rare configurations in our cosmos, it presents us an opportunity for a new era in human consciousness.  A new era in human consciousness might mean different things, such as rapid AI development, social fragmentation, ecological pressure, spiritual awakening, collapsing institutions, expanding global awareness or perhaps all of the above at one time!

Such changes raise the practical challenge of how to stay grounded, adaptive and deeply human during this transcending time.

Below are some intention-setting ideas for building capacities that are valuable during such uncertain, perhaps turbulent times:

1.  Strengthen discernment.   Information overload has been known to distort our perception of the world.  Discernment, not judgment, becomes a core survival skill.  Consider the following tools to exercise your critical thinking muscles to strengthen your discernment skill:

  • Distinguish signal from stimulation.
  • Slow down before adopting extreme narratives.
  • Read across perspectives instead of living inside one worldview.
  • Ask:
    • What evidence supports this perspective?
    • What emotions are being activated?
    • Who benefits from me believing this?

The goal is not cynicism. It’s clarity.

2.  Build inner stability.  Times of civilizational transition tend to amplify anxiety, identity confusion, and emotional dysregulation and contagion.  Inner stability comes from consistent self-care practices, not perfect beliefs.  Perhaps focus your energy on some of the following self-care tools during this time:

  • Sleep and physical health
  • Time offline
  • Meditation or other contemplative practices
  • Journaling
  • Long-form reading
  • Nature exposure
  • Meaningful routines

A regulated, grounded nervous system helps you think more clearly and independently.

3.  Develop “both/and” thinking.  Older systems trained us to think in “either/or” binaries, such as science or spirituality, individual or collective, technology or humanity.  Consider developing the ability to accept the world as more complex than these older systems suggest.  For example, emerging consciousness asks up to consider:

  • Technology can expand and diminish humanity simultaneously.
  • Institutions can be flawed and necessary.
  • Rationality and intuition both matter.

Mature awareness tolerates paradox without collapsing into confusion.

4.  Stay connected to real humans.  One of the major risks during transitional eras is dissociation, including disembodiment, as evidenced by living online, identifying through ideology, and replacing community with content consumption.  Perhaps try countering this risk intentionally through the following ways:

  • Eat with people.
  • Have conversations without performance.
  • Join local groups.
  • Learn practical skills with others.
  • Create things together.

Human nervous systems regulate each other through real presence.

5.  Cultivate adaptability instead of rigid identity.  Changing times reward flexible people more than certain people.  Consider trying to hold how you currently identify lightly in areas such as your career, political tribe, spiritual label, and self-image.  We can all evolve without losing our integrity.  A powerful question this month for reflection might be “What if this phase of my life is training me for capacities I don’t yet fully understand?”  We don’t know what we don’t know.  However, when we are open to learning new ways of being, we do better!

5 Intention-setting Ideas for Creating Sustainable Habitats

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May celebrates Garden for Wildlife Month!

Garden for Wildlife Month is a national initiative dedicated to transforming yards, community spaces and even balconies into sustainable habitats for birds, butterfiles and other pollinators.

By planting native species, eliminating pesticides, and providing water, gardeners can support local biodiversity. It is a call to create, restore, and certify wildlife-friendly habitats.  Turning your garden into something that actually supports wildlife is one of the most effective ways to celebrate Wildlife Month—you’re creating habitat, not just decoration.

Below are some intention-setting ideas for how to do it in a way that genuinely helps:

  1. Native first!   Native flowers support bees, butterflies, and birds far better than exotics.  Consider skipping purely ornamental plants and focus on species native to your area—they’re what local wildlife evolved to depend on!
  2. Provide water.  Wildlife doesn’t just need food.  Perhaps add a birdbath, shallow dish, or small pond to provide a clean water source.
  3. Create shelter.  Pollinators need food and shelter.  Consider leaving some areas a bit “messy” (fallen leaves, stems) for nesting or adding shrubs or logs for hiding spots.
  4. Eliminate Chemicals.  Pesticides do more harm than we realize.  Perhaps avoid using pesticides and herbicides, which can harm the beneficial insects and pollinators you are trying to attract.
  5. Small Spaces.  You do not need a large yard to create sacred space for our wildlife.  Consider using containers, window boxes, and/or balconies to support our wonderful pollinators!

5 Intention-setting Ideas for Fostering Personal Connection

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April is National Card and Letter Writing Month!

This month-long celebration is dedicated to reviving the art of handwritten correspondence and sharing joy through snail mail.  And, although it was initiated by the USPS, it is meant to encourage sending letters to neighbors, friends, family and other loved ones to foster personal connection (instead of digital communication).

Do you remember how you felt the last time you received a personal, hand-written note from someone expressing appreciation for you?

Below are some intention-setting ideas for creative and thoughtful ways to celebrate this month:

  1. Letter-a-day.   For a simple way to rebuild connections, consider challenging yourself to write one note each day.  You can rotate between friends, family, coworkers, or even people you’ve lost touch with.
  2. Get creative.  Handmade cards feel even more personal and meaningful than store-bought ones.  Perhaps get creative with paper, markers, stickers, or even watercolor paints to create some of your own.  The process itself can feel heart warming!
  3. Spread encouragement.  Kind messages can make a real difference in someone’s day.  Consider sending letters to seniors, hospital patients, or deployed service members through organizations like Love For Our Elders or Operation Gratitude.
  4. Letter-writing Night.  You can even turn writing into a fun, connecting experience!  Perhaps invite friends over (or do it virtually) and make it an event—bring stationery, snacks, and maybe a theme like gratitude or appreciation.
  5. Just because.  A spontaneous note of appreciation or encouragement often has the biggest emotional impact.  Consider surprising people with unexpected cards and watch what unfolds!

 

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Celebrate National Craft Month

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March is National Craft Month!

National Craft Month was established to encourage creativity and exploration.  Crafting has been shown to relieve stress and boredom.  It can spread passion and identify hidden talents!

Crafting includes a broad range of mediums:  paper, fabric, wood, paint, glass, clay, yarn, beads, leather, stone, crystals and metal.  The art of crafting is dedicated to inspiration and motivation.

Learning a craft offers many mind-body benefits. Most crafts require fine motor skills and concentration, which support the development of these skills in children and maintain them as we get older.  Discovering a craft that allows you to express your creativity provides stress relief and can lower blood pressure.  Many people struggle with stillness meditation, so crafting becomes a moving meditation.  Also, whenever we learn a new skill, there is a natural positive reinforcement that builds confidence from the inside out.  With each new step learned, the satisfaction from gaining the skill is rewarding, reinforcing our motivation to continue to learn.  When we craft in a group, it builds community and a strong community contributes to longevity.

When creativity becomes stress relieving and inspirational, it fills the soul!

Below are some intention-setting ideas for celebrating this month of creativity, exploration, and inspiration:

  1. Visit the Library.   National Craft Month might be the perfect time to visit your local library as they offer special crafting sessions.  Consider looking for events like scrapbooking, painting or origami and try one that intrigues you!
  2. Teach Your Craft.  If you have a crafting skill that you are passionate about, perhaps think about teaching someone your craft and sharing your passion!
  3. Host a Party.  If you might be so inspired to spread your passion more broadly, consider hosting a crafting get-together.  You might center it around a theme, like “Spring Wreaths” or “Painted Rocks,” so everyone can craft together while sharing and connecting.
  4. Support Local Craft Stores or Artisans.  Another way to celebrate National Craft Month is to show support for crafters.  Perhaps attend a local craft fair or buy supplies at your local craft store.  You might also attend a local artisan’s workshop or promote their work on social media.
  5. Share Crafting Tips and Ideas.  If you are not so inclined to teach your craft in a hands-on way, consider using your social media to post your favorite crafting hacks, tutorials, or even your finished projects. Engaging with others in this way can inspire even more creativity!

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Strengthen Our Courage

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With the new calendar year comes intentions for change. As we welcomed the Chinese New Year of the Snake on January 29th, the snake encourages all of us to embrace change and growth.  Yet change is scary as it requires us to open our hearts up and take a risk to try something different.  It invites us to face the fear of failure, even when the simple act of trying is evidence of our courage, regardless of the outcome.

Change requires courage, so below are some intention-setting ideas to strengthen our courage in these times of change:

  1. Start Small.  Courage exercises our heart muscles, so starting with small, manageable risks that push us a little out of our comfort zones is a good place to test the waters.  With each small attempt to tackle something new, courage will grow and your heart muscles will strengthen.  So perhaps revisit your intentions for the new year and break them down into small steps and start there.
  2. Shift Focus.  Fear of failure can hold us back on our journeys of growth.  Failure is a teacher and guide.  The more we can befriend failure and see it as a teacher, the less scary it becomes and the more we can shift our focus on what we define as success.  Consider redefining success and failure, with success reflecting your courage to try something new and failure reflecting your willingness to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes by taking action, paving the way for your growth and enhancing your resilience.
  3. Practice Self Compassion.  Accepting and embracing failure as a necessary part of a full life supports courage and includes practicing self compassion.  So consider ramping up your commitment to self compassion so you are open to treating yourself with loving kindness in those painful moments of failure.  Perhaps buy a deck of cards that provides self compassion exercises to practice after a setback, especially if self compassion is a new tool in your current coping skills tool kit.
  4. Build a Support Network.  Surrounding yourself with supportive people who embrace and encourage growth emboldens courage. Having a group that believes in your ability to change can reinforce your courage when facing a new challenge.  Consider seeking advice, encouragement, or simply reassurance from those who care about you as such support can increase your confidence and provide you with more motivation.
  5. Take Time to Reflect.  As you begin to more consciously take those small, manageable risks, plan to reflect on your accomplishments, both from your redefined success and failure perspectives.  Consider starting a Growth Journal, where you write down the steps you took from a place of courage and the results.  Then, in those inevitable moments of self doubt, you can open your journal to remind yourself of times when you’ve overcome obstacles and what you learned that has supported your progress.  Reflecting on your previous experiences of  courage will help to reinforce the core belief that you are capable of navigating change.

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Raise Poverty Awareness

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January is Poverty in America Awareness Month!

National Poverty in America Awareness Month is observed in the month of January.  I experienced food scarcity as a child, so this topic is close to my heart.  Food scarcity can have a profound and wide-ranging impact on a child’s mental health.  It affects their emotional well-being, cognitive development, and social interactions, and it can have lasting effects into adulthood.  Addressing food insecurity is essential not only for physical health but also for the mental well-being and future development of our children.

Congress officially recognized Poverty Awareness Month in 2009 to raise awareness and bring attention to the growth of poverty in the United States.  The poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5% or 37.9 million people living in poverty.  Poverty can arise from many factors, including but not limited to limited access to education, disabilities, and/or social discrimination.

Organizations like the Community Action Network focus on efforts to raise awareness about poverty by sharing stories of people experiencing financial hardship.

Below are some intention-setting ideas to help raise awareness, generate support, and foster meaningful change to combat poverty in America:
  1. Host.   Consider organizing a neighborhood food drive to support local food banks, shelters, or community organizations that assist individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.  You might partner with a local business or school to maximize participation and impact!
  2. Volunteer.  Another option to consider might be to spend time volunteering at a local shelter, soup kitchen, or organization that supports individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty.  You can assist with meal prep, distribution of supplies, or providing support in other ways..
  3. Educate and Advocate.  Perhaps you might use your social media platforms to share information, statistics, and personal stories that highlight the realities of poverty in America. Maybe encourage discussions on systemic issues, such as affordable housing, healthcare access, and education, and advocate for policies that address these challenges.
  4. Fundraise.  If you find you have more time this month, perhaps plan a fundraising activity, such as a charity run, auction, or online campaign, to raise money for organizations working to alleviate poverty.  Funds can support housing initiatives, educational programs, job training, or mental health services for low-income individuals..
  5. Discuss.  Consider collaborating with local experts, activists, or community leaders to organize a discussion or panel on the causes and solutions to poverty.  You might engage your community in dialogue around sustainable solutions such as universal basic income, affordable housing, and access to quality education and healthcare..

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Protect Your Identity

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National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month!

With a recent burglary and learning that part of my Social Security number was found on “the dark web’ rattling my cage so to speak, I felt compelled to alert others to perhaps raise their awareness as to what they might be able to do to protect themselves.  December brings the holiday season and. along with it, an increased vulnerability to identify theft.

So, to bring more peace of mind to this season, below are some intention-setting ideas to consider to keep you and your information safer:

  1. Think Twice.   When receiving unsolicited emails, texts, or phone calls, stop for a moment and think twice, especially if there is a request for any personal or financial information. Scammers often pose as legitimate organizations.  Consider making it a standard practice to verify the source before sharing sensitive information and not clicking on suspicious links and/or downloading attachments until you have verified the source.  You might also consider asking someone you trust to review any unsolicited email or text to help discern if it is legitimate or a scam.
  2. Get Creative.  I know that when we have over 100 different accounts from banking to Netflix, thinking about having 100 different passwords can be quite overwhelming.  So perhaps look at coming up with passwords as a creative process that might bring a smile to your face, such as using symbols to represent letters (i.e., $ for S) and letters that sound like words (i.e., R for are).  You might use a password manager to securely store what you have created, even if it is a password-protected spreadsheet, like Excel.
  3. Double Your Authenticity. Many web sites have started to implement 2-factor authentication (2FA) on accounts to enhance security.  2FA requires a second form of verification, often a security code sent to the telephone number on record, in addition to a password.  Consider, whenever possible, enabling 2FA on your accounts to add an extra layer of security and enhance your peace of mind!
  4. Annual Monitoring.  There are three major credit bureaus in the US (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) that provide FREE annual credit reports.  You can request yours through AnnualCreditReport.com.  Consider putting a reminder in your calendar to check your credit reports regularly to spot any unauthorized activity.  Perhaps also consider signing up for credit monitoring services for real-time alerts, like I did, through LifeLock.
  5. Shred.  With so much technology out there, we might think that is where we need to simply focus our energies to protect our identifies.  However, it is still import to shred any documents that might contain personal information, such as Social Security numbers, including bank and credit card statements, health care EOBs/bills, 401K investment papers and/or utility bills instead of simply recycling them. This helps prevent thieves from accessing your information through physical means.  What we learned through our burglary experience is, thieves are focused on stealing locked safes because they often contain guns, yet they might also be where people put their Social Security cards and Birth Certificates.  So, paper is still a valuable commodity in the identify theft market.

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Strengthen Your Kindness Muscles

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World Kindness Day was first introduced in 1998 and is observed each year on November 13th.  The World Kindness Movement (WKM) introduced World Kindness Day to promote awareness of global goodwill and offers an opportunity to highlight good deeds in the community.  People around the world are encouraged to perform acts of kindness every day throughout the month.  If you need some ideas to stir your motivation, The Mayo Clinic offers a Kickstart Kindness program that you can check out.

Kindness is not simply an action.  It is a quality of being that can be cultivated.  Demonstrating kindness can be simple and free and has been shown to be health-enhancing!

Below are some intention-setting ideas for why kindness matters and why you might want to catch the kindness wave this month:

  1. Connection.   Acts of kindness have been shown to create bonds between people that foster relationships.  They create a sense of community fulfilling a basic human need for a sense of belonging.  Consider volunteering some time this month in a community outreach effort such as at a local food pantry or an environmental conservation project, such as a beach cleanup.
  2. Well-being.  Being kind can boost your own mental health by decreasing stress and anxiety and increasing your mood.  It often leads to feelings of happiness and fulfillment and often starts with being kind to ourselves.  Perhaps this month you set an intention to write down the noise that your critical voice is often heard making and try rewriting it as if you were offering a dear friend or your child words of comfort to show themselves kindness.
  3. Ripple effect.  Demonstrating kindness can inspire others to be kind when they see and feel it in action!  Modeling behaviors impacts people, especially children, by teaching them social skills, to help others, and how to engage in other positive social interactions.  So know that when you model kindness it is creating a positive chain reaction that can spread throughout a community.  Consider where you might model kindness this month and then observe how your behaviors might become contagious!
  4. Resilience.  Kindness builds resilience in many ways, including helping you to focus on your strengths (instead of where you feel you are going wrong), activating your brain’s reward system reducing powerful emotions such as shame and self-loathing, and building social connections and a supportive network.  With these tools, kindness can provide support and comfort, helping you to better navigate challenging times.  Even witnessing acts of kindness increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood.  So perhaps set an intention to increase the occurrence of expressing your appreciation to the people in your life that support you in some way every day, knowing it will build both yours and their resilience, a gift that will keep on giving for a life time!
  5. Empathy.  Developing empathy can support exercising our kindness muscles.  Empathy requires us to not only understand but share in another’s emotions as if you were walking in their shoes.  It encourages compassion, which goes beyond empathy by actively wanting to reduce the suffering of another by taking some action to help them.  Consider someone you know that might be suffering in some way right now and lean into what they might be feeling at this time.  Notice what emotions arise for you.  Notice if some action comes into mind that might provide this person some support.  That’s empathy and compassion at work, promoting a more caring and tolerant culture.